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BEST
SCENIC SPOTS 
Introduction
The
main aim of this web site is to bring the scenic attractions of the
Central Coast region to the attention of the average person. In keeping
with this aim, the majority of the scenic spots listed on this page can be enjoyed from the
comfort of your car, while the remainder can be reached by relatively easy
walks.
The
order of listings starts in the north at Catherine Hill Bay and then
follows the coastline south to Patonga. It then proceeds back up the
western side of Brisbane Water to Gosford and then out into
the rural hinterland.
Please
note that it
is not possible to provide step by step directions on how to get to a
particular spot and, unless you are familiar with the region, a Central
Coast street directory will be needed.
The
images below show a small sample of the scenery of the Central Coast and come from my photo CD,
Postcards from the Central Coast. To find out more about
the CD, click here.
Click on any of
these images to enlarge
Catherine Hill Bay
Catherine
Hill Bay is technically not part of the Central Coast region, as it is
situated several hundred metres north of the border between Wyong Shire
and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas. However, I won't be so
pedantic as to exclude it from this scenery guide. Catherine Hill Bay is a picturesque and historic
mining town, where you can see old miner's houses (built at the end of
the 19th century) and the disused coal loading jetty (top right image
above). It is also
possible to walk from Catherine Hill Bay to Moonee Beach, Flat Island
and Ghosties Beach in Munmorah State Conservation Area.
Munmorah State Conservation Area
In
my opinion, this is one of the scenic gems of the Central Coast region
and definitely not to be missed. There is a
vehicle entry fee of $7 to Munmorah State Conservation Area but it is
money well spent. The lookouts along Snapper Point Road
are absolutely superb (see photos above). And, check out the big sea
cave at end of Snapper Point Road. Not far behind is Wybung Trig, which offers a
brilliant 270 degree vista south over Birdie Beach and Norah Head and
west over the Wattagan Mountains. Wybung Head has great views from the
car park, and is a top whale watching spot, but you can walk down the track to the actual headland for even
better views (caution needed with unfenced cliffs). Also check out
Frazer Beach and Birdie Beach. Munmorah State Conservation Area is
renowned for its brilliant wildflower displays in spring. Access is
via Birdie Beach Drive, off Elizabeth Bay Drive, Lake Munmorah.
Norah Head Lighthouse
Norah
Head Lighthouse was built in 1903 and is of the same design as the one at Cape Byron on the NSW north
coast. There are excellent views
north to Wybung Head and south as far as Tudibaring Head near Copacabana.
It is a popular whale watching spot and there is an extensive rock platform
at the base of the headland which you can explore (but care needs to be
taken in big seas). Norah Head Lighthouse is reached from the car park
at the end of Bush Street.
Soldiers Point
Just
to the south of Norah Head is Soldiers Point. It is a very nice scenic spot with great
views north to Norah Head Lighthouse and south over Soldiers Beach and
Pelican Point.
Pelican Beach
Pelican
Beach is reached via Pelican Beach Road, off Wilfred Barrett Drive
approximately 2 kilometres south of Noraville. There is a viewing platform with great views along Tuggerah
Beach to The Entrance and north to Pelican Point.
The Entrance
There
is a nice 1.5 kilometre waterside walk from The Entrance Surf Club
(located in Marine Parade) to Picnic Point, passing under The Entrance
Bridge along the way. You can take a detour and walk across the bridge,
which has views over the town on the eastern side and Tuggerah Lake on
the western side.
Long Jetty Foreshore Reserve
Take
an easy walk along the pathway that follows the shore of Tuggerah Lake.
There are nice views across the lake and you can walk out on the
jetties. The longest of these is Long Jetty (about 260 metres), from
which the town got its name. It is located on Tuggerah Parade at the
bottom of Archbold Street. About half a kilometre further south along
Tuggerah Parade is Watkins Jetty (about 220 metres long).
Crackneck Point Lookout
Crackneck
Point Lookout is a very popular
spot, with great views over Shelley Beach and The Entrance and north to
Norah Head and north-west over Tuggerah Lake. It is a renowned whale watching spot.
Crackneck Lookout is located at the end of Hilltop Street, Bateau Bay.
Wyrrabalong Lookout
At
132 metres Wyrrabalong is the
highest point on the coastline between Sydney and Newcastle. It is a great whale watching
spot and has fantastic views south over Forresters
Beach, Terrigal and to Tudibaring Head. It is located at the end of North Scenic
Road - Cromarty Hill Road, Forresters Beach. It is also possible to walk
to Wyrrabalong via the Coast Walking Track from Crackneck Lookout
(around 3 kilometres return).
Terrigal
Terrigal
is one of the Central Coast's original tourist destinations, dating back
to the late 19th century, and is one of the region's best known
locations. It is highly urbanised and does have some problems with
traffic and parking (particularly on weekends in the summer months).
However, it is a very scenic spot. The
Skillion (41 metres) has great views north along the coast to
Wyrrabalong and beyond and south to Tudibaring Head.
Captain Cook Memorial Lookout, Copacabana
This
is a great whale watching spot by virtue of its height and 180 degree ocean panorama.
However, its scenic worth is diminished somewhat by the trees that block
what
would otherwise have been a superb southerly view. From the car park
there are great views north over Avoca and Terrigal and north to
Wyrrabalong. It is reached from Del Monte Place, Copacabana.
Point Panorama, Bouddi National Park
Point
Panorama is a rock ledge about 150 metres down the Maitland Bay Track,
which starts at the Maitland Bay Information Centre on The Scenic Road
at Killcare Heights. If
you've ever seen a photo of Maitland Bay then this is where the shot
was taken from. The view has graced the pages of many books and
National Parks and Wildlife Service guides. It also appears on my National
Parks page on this web site.
Marie Byles Lookout, Killcare Heights
Marie
Byles Lookout is located on The Scenic Road at Killcare Heights, about
700 metres south of the Maitland Bay Information Centre. It has great
views over Putty Beach, Broken Bay and the northern suburbs of Sydney
(from Palm Beach to Long Reef). On a clear day you can even make out the
taller buildings of Sydney's Central Business District.
Hardys Bay
Hardys
Bay is located at the bottom of Killcare Road, off The Scenic Road at
Killcare Heights. It is a picturesque little village with attractive
views over the southern end of Brisbane Water to The Rip Bridge.
Mount Ettalong
This
is one of the best scenic spots on the Central Coast. To reach it, follow Mt.
Ettalong Road up the hill and around a very tight hairpin bend. The
turn-off to the lookout is about 700 metres past this bend. From the car
park at the water reservoir it is an easy 700 metre walk to the main
lookout, which has great
views to the east and south-east over Broken Bay, Box
Head, Lion Island and Barrenjoey, and north over the Woy Woy peninsula.
However, halfway along the track is a rock platform with a superb view over
Pearl Beach and Broken Bay. It is unfenced, so caution is needed!
Warrah Trig and Warrah Lookout
Warrah
Trig is reached by car via a fire trail that leads off Patonga Drive.
The road is unsealed but is easily accessible to 2WD vehicles. Warrah
Trig has a great view over the Hawkesbury River and up Cowan Creek.
Warrah Lookout is even better - one of the very best lookouts in the entire
region - but requires a 500 metre walk through bush along a
well-maintained but fairly steep track.
Patonga
Patonga
is a quiet, picturesque village on the shore of Broken Bay. It is a nice
spot for a picnic or a walk along the beach, with views across Broken Bay to Barrenjoey
and Pittwater.
Staples Lookout
This
lookout offers views over Woy Woy Bay and the town of Woy Woy. It's OK
but, in my opinion, not one of the best lookouts in the region. It is
worth a look if you are travelling along Woy Woy Road but I wouldn't go
out of my way to see it.
Presidents Hill, West Gosford
Presidents
Hill has a good view down the length of Brisbane Water, over Woy Woy and Lion
Island and to the northern suburbs of Sydney in the distance. It is
reached via a short drive from Hely Street, West Gosford (off the
Pacific Highway).
Rumbalara Reserve, Gosford
Rumbalara
Reserve is reached via Wells Street at East Gosford, then into Springfield
Road and finally Dolly Avenue, which you follow to the end. There are a
number of lookouts with views over Gosford and up the Narara Valley.
Rural hinterland - Mangrove Creek Dam
A
nice scenic rural drive (via Yarramalong Road, Bumble Hill Road, Greta Road,
George Downes Drive, Kyola Road and Mangrove Dam Road) will take you to Mangrove
Creek Dam. The drive takes in agricultural lands and typical Australian
bushland. The viewing platform at Mangrove Creek Dam has good views over dam, pumping
station and the valley of Mangrove Creek.
About the Postcards from the Central Coast photo CD and how to buy it
The
photo CD features 100 images covering the entire region.
They are intended for viewing on a PC monitor. Because of differences in the
resolutions of PC monitors, the CD contains two versions of the images - 1250 x 833 pixels versions (which are optimised for viewing on 1280 x 1024 size
screens or larger) and 1000 x 666 pixels versions (for 1024 x
756 size screens).
Please
note that the sample images on this web site have been compressed to
approximately one-tenth of the actual file size to facilitate fast
download times and are intended as a guide only. The images on the
actual CD are of far greater quality.
The
CD is available by mail order only and costs $30
(including postage within Australia). Payment can be made by cheque, money
order, direct deposit to my bank account or by credit card (via Pay Pal). Please contact me
for more details.
Postcards
from the Central Coast CD - front cover
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